Sam fumbled with the keys in his hands before fitting them into the lock of the door. He twisted the lock and entered the apartment.
He intended to come over and give an update of his current project to his friend, but, it seemed that only her brother was home. The man sat in his wheelchair, legless, reading a book in the corner of the room with the tv on at a low volume to some documentary about space.
"Is Roxine here?" Sam inquired, closing the door behind him and setting the key on the counter as he walked into the room.
"I think she's in her room," Drew plainly responded, only glancing up. "Down the hall."
Sam nodded a quick 'thanks' and made his way down the narrow, dark hallway. At the end of it, he knocked on the door. The door creaked open.
The room was dark and a bit of a mess. The woman did not appear to be in the bed, so he took a few steps in and looked about. Surely, if she was here, she would have heard him knock and would have responded in some way.
Discouraged, Sam began to turn and leave. He paused when he saw the window open, then noticed the screen displaced and leaning against the wall.
This apartment is on the third floor. There's no way she could've left through a window. And if she did... Why?
Sam crept towards the window and peeked outside. A metal fire escape was firmly attached to the outside walls of the building. A few feet away, there, he saw her.
She was sitting at the edge where a piece of the railings broke and were missing. The moonlight shone off of her hair, and the light breeze twisted through her clothes. Sam nearly shivered, not at the sight, but because it was a relatively colder night than he was used to.
He almost called for her, asked what she was doing, why she was there, to give her the update he came here to give her.
Then he noticed the man she sat next to. They were talking, softly. The only reasoning he could come up with was because she didn't want to be caught by Drew, or even himself. Against his better judgement, though, he listened to their conversation the best he could.
"We can," the man said. "I've seen it happen."
"Not with us." She paused. "...I've tried. I really, really did." Her gaze lifted to the skyline she faced. The stars twinkled off her eyes, and the wind pushed her hair into her face.
"I changed. I promise, I did. I realize how much I've wronged you... How much of a douche I was. You deserve better, and I want to be that. For you. I still love you." The man tried to look her in the eyes as he pleaded.
She wiped her face and sighed, returning the gaze. Her voice cracked as she tried to speak. "I still love you too," she paused, grasping for words. "But I can't be with you anymore."
The hope in the man's eyes disintegrated and he broke the eye contact with her. "We can prove everyone wrong," he began. "I know your brother, Mark, your friends... They said we wouldn't make it. But-"
"And they were right." She spoke softly, but the impact of her statement stopped the man in his tracks. "I... I'm a fool for falling for you. But I can't get out of it, when I know it's wrong."
He took a breath and hesitated. "Whatever happens... I just want you to know that you are the most beautiful, strongest, most caring woman I have ever met and have had the privilege of being with." He placed a gentle hand on her thigh, causing her to bite her lip.
The man leaned in for a kiss, but stopped in place less than an inch from her face. She had her eyes closed and ready by instinct, but she got ahold of herself and lowered her head. The man sat back where he was prior.
"I think you should go," she uttered, more of a demand than a suggestion.
"...I understand," he said, a cracking in his voice. He hesitated before he stood up and walked down the fire escape steps to the ground.
Roxine sat by herself on the metal grates, her hands gripping the sides. She was obviously deep in her thought, replaying the conversation in her head.
Sam stayed another moment unnoticed before he stood back up in the bedroom, quietly leaving back to the living room as to not draw attention to himself.
"What did she say?" Drew looked up to Sam this time, book closed on the end table beside him.
"She's, uh, busy," Sam responded. "I'll call her later." He grabbed the apartment key from the counter and left, locking the door behind himself.
